1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides methods of diverting treating fluids in subterranean zones penetrated by well bores.
2. Description of the Prior Art
After a well bore is drilled and completed in a subterranean producing zone, it is often necessary to introduce a treating fluid into the zone. For example, the producing zone can be stimulated by introducing an aqueous acid solution into the producing zone to thereby increase its porosity and the production of hydrocarbons therefrom. In order to insure that the producing zone is contacted by the treating fluid uniformly, it has heretofore been the practice to place a particulate solid diverting agent in the zone. One technique has been to pack the diverting agent in perforation tunnels extending from the wellbore into the subterranean zone. The diverting agent in the perforation tunnels causes the treating fluid introduced therein to be uniformly distributed between all of the perforations whereby the subterranean zone is uniformly treated.
A problem in the use of the above described procedure is that the particulate solid diverting agent must subsequently be removed from the perforation tunnel to allow the maximum flow of produced hydrocarbon from the subterranean zone into the well bore. This has heretofore been accomplished by contacting the particulate solid diverting agent with a fluid which degrades the diverting agent, such as, water, oil, xylene and the like. While the clean-up procedures utilized have been successful in removing the diverting agent, they often entail considerable time and expense to carry out. Thus, there are needs for improved methods of uniformly introducing treating fluids into subterranean producing zones without the requirement of removing the particulate solid diverting agent by contacting it with a clean-up solution.